SPC Marcela MacDonald, U.S. Army, shows off her ceramic bowl during Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture “Ceramics for Veterans.” Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture (YSAC) is proud to announce the next series of free art classes for veterans and active-duty military. “Ceramics for Veterans” is a yearlong program which includes basic hand building ceramics classes, wheel throwing and related lectures, gallery shows and sales.

The next eight-week session of classes will be held in the Gallery at Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, 624 E St. in Marysville starting on Thursday, July 10, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.  The final class will be on Aug. 28. The classes are free of charge for veterans, active-duty military and their families. Additional classes will be offered during the remainder of the year, along with a series of offsite wheel throwing classes. Veterans are invited to be a part of these workshops and related events. They will learn the basics of working with clay and hand-building techniques, giving them a powerful creative outlet. Ceramics improve fine motor skills, concentration and problem-solving. Participants will leave with a sense of accomplishment and finished projects. 

The next eight-week session of classes will be held in the Gallery at Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, 624 E St. in Marysville. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

Classes will be led by well-known Northern California ceramic artists, Amy Davis and U.S. Army Combat Veteran Jason Lewis. Davis’ instructors early in her career included Glenn Husted at Yuba College where she studied traditional Asian ceramics and wood firing and Dick Hotchkiss at Sierra College. Lewis is a former student of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture’s Ceramic Artist in Residence, Navy Veteran Drew Sallee. Sallee was the Sutter Union High School ceramics teacher for many years where he taught Lewis.

Later in August, Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture is offering a series of free wheel throwing classes in collaboration with Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento. In pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping (known as throwing) of clay into round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather-hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable, and for applying incised decoration or rings of color. The experts say it is not as easy as it looks, but Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture wanted to be able to offer this creative outlet to Veterans as well as the hand building classes currently underway in Marysville. Watch for further announcements about the wheel throwing classes later in July.

Art classes for veterans provide a therapeutic outlet for expressing emotions and experiences that may be difficult to verbalize. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

Art classes for veterans like these provide a therapeutic outlet for expressing emotions and experiences that may be difficult to verbalize. Many veterans face challenges such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety or depression, and creative activities like ceramics and other art forms can offer a sense of relief and healing. These classes foster a supportive environment and a sense of community, where veterans can connect with others who share similar experiences, promoting camaraderie and reducing isolation. Overall, these programs support emotional well-being and help veterans with newfound skills and confidence.

“The simple act of taking a piece of clay and transforming it into something beautiful and/or functional has real value for the creator,” said David Read, the Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture executive director.  “The veterans and other students leave class with a sense of accomplishment and decorative, useful finished projects.”

This series of Ceramics for Veterans classes is funded by Sutter Yuba Behavioral Health. Again, this program is open to all veterans and their families in Sutter and Yuba counties at no cost.  Be sure to pre-register at yubasutterarts.org or for additional information, call 530-742-2787.

Roger Schultz, USMC Cannoneer, is a master bowl maker at the Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture “Ceramics for Veterans.” Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture